(Image credit: Quinchen DIY / bilibili.com)

As much as I love my Steam Deck, I know it lacks the immersiveness and the power of a proper gaming PC – so I'm seriously impressed by the gaming handheld that one talented modder has created.

Behind its impressively massive 12.5-inch 4K display there's an RTX 4090 laptop GPU and a Core i9 14900HX processor.

As PCGamesN reports, the full spec includes an Intel Core i9 14900HX CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 graphics, 64GB of RAM, a 2TB NVMe SSD, that 12.5-inch 4K touch screen, and a 50Wh battery.

That battery isn't for gaming, though: the combination of CPU, GPU and display is too hungry to last very long in battery mode.

It's big. It's clever. It can't go far from a power outlet. (Image credit: Quinchen DIY / bilibili.com)

What's gaming like on an RTX 4090 handheld console?

You can see for yourself in the video posted on bilibili.com, and once you get over the fact that the handheld is comically large – looking almost like a Steam Deck or a Nintendo Switch 2 is being played by a very small child – I think you'll be impressed by how good Horizon: Forbidden West, Cyberpunk 2077 and God of War each look on the device.

It's a fantastic mod, but it's not exactly practical. The poster says that on battery mode "you definitely can't play games", which defeats the purpose of a handheld somewhat.

While I'm used to keeping my Steam Deck near a USB-C cable at home, the whole point of getting a handheld was so I could play games when I'm travelling far from plug sockets and power outlets.

(Image credit: Quinchen DIY / bilibili.com)

That said, a production version of this device would be an interesting alternative to the likes of the Asus ROG Flow Z13 for sofa-based gaming, although given the high price and compromises involved it'd probably only appeal to a very select and rather affluent group of gamers.

For most of us, one of the best gaming laptops would be a much better option. Still, I love that this strange creation exists.